Brooke Medlin

March 25, 2015

English 112-37
Autobiography
Julia Intawiwat
"Alcohol." Alcohol. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.
Samhsa is a treatment program regulated by the government. They have all kinds of rehabs.
"Slightly more than half of Americans ages 12 or older report being current drinkers of alcohol. SAMHSAs
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reports that in 2013 there were 136.9 million current alcohol
users aged 12 or older, with 22.9% classified as binge drinkers and 6.3% as heavy drinkers. About 17.3 million
of these, or 6.6%, met criteria for an alcohol use disorder in the past year. Excessive alcohol use, including
underage drinking and binge drinking (drinking 5 or more drinks on a single occasion for men or 4 or more
drinks on an occasion for women), can increase a persons risk of developing serious health problems,
including brain and liver damage, heart disease, hypertension, and fetal damage in pregnant women. According
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol use causes 88,000 deaths a year. Many
Americans begin drinking at an early age. According to the SAMHSA report Behavioral Health, United States,
2012, about 24% of eighth graders and 64% of twelfth graders used alcohol in the past year."
SAMHSA is a good cite because it is regulated by the government and a highly known group helping people all
over the states.
"Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse. Signs, Symptoms, and Help for Drinking Problems. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb.
2015.
Authors Melinda Smith, M.A., Lawrence Robinson, and Jeanne Segal have written and updated many of the
alcohol articles on this page. They write to teach people how to see beginning signs of alcoholism and how to
get help.
Things such as genetics, how you were raised, your social environment, and your emotional health, suffer from
a mental health problem such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder are factors why people could become
alcoholics. Some racial groups, such as American Indians and Native Alaskans, are more at risk than others of
developing alcohol addiction.
Helpguide.org is a great way to get help with any subject. I have found that any website with .org can be trusted
because it is an organization. Helpguide.org is a well trusted nonprofit resource.
"Helping an Adult Family Member or Friend with a Drug or Alcohol Problem - Partnership for Drug-Free Kids."
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. Partnership for Drug-free Kids, 09 June 2014. Web. 21 Mar. 2015.
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids is a website where people who have had issues with drinking or someone in
their life with drinking issues and comment and give advice. This website also explains step by step how to talk
to someone bout getting help etc.
There are many different types of recovery and no one treatment is best for everyone. Many think they have to
choose the best recovery program or that person will fail. Experts think that any number of programs can lead
to success if the person is willing to accept help from others. They recommend visiting SAMHSAs Substance
Abuse Treatment Facility Locator.
This website is credible because so many people give their own personal stories and opinions you can read for
different options.

Medlin, Lynn. "My Husband Drinks." Personal interview. 17 Mar. 2015.

Lynn Medlin is my cousin. Lynn is in her mid-30. We have all grown up around drunks in my family. Lynn does
not drink at all and growing up from a poor family has nothing but a high school degree. She and her husband
have been married 12 years.
Interviewing Lynn she explained how hard it was sometimes to be married to someone who drinks his life away.
Shes not sure when his addiction started however, Lynn stays her strongest every day. She tries to talk to him
about it and his anger but Kevin (her husband) just yells and goes to the other room to drink. Kevin is your
typical redneck so for the longest time Lynn didnt think nothing about his drinking at first.
Lynn is a credible source because so many mates have an abusive partner addicted to alcohol who is
aggressive and too scared to say anything.
Morris, Mini, Ms. "Family Drunks." Personal interview. 19 Mar. 2015.
Mini Morris is my aunt. Mini is in her mind 40's and drinks almost every day to sorrow her pain. When she was
a teenager her brother hung himself off a bridge down the street from their house. She never really even
considered getting help. She thought her drinking didn't affect anyone but herself!
Interviewing her I learned drinking doesnt just effect one or two people. Mini lost her job, couldnt afford her
bills, and started stealing from her family. Mini cried the day she found out she has drank so much her body
was shutting down and she was no longer able to have children. Even though she was single, she was only
26.
Mini is a credible source because I talked to her one on one and she knows first-hand what this drug does to
your life.